Valve for molten glass



Sept: 8. 1925.

G. E HOWARD VALVE FOR MOLTEN GLASS Filed April 13, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 @www Sept. 8, 1925. A

G. EA HOWARD VALVE FOR MOLTEN GLASS Filed April 15, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR EJ (/bw Patented Sept. 8, 1925..

. UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

4G-llCJIRG-E E. HOWARD, 0F BUTLER, PENNSYLANIA, ASSIGNOB TO HARTFORD-EMPIRE COMPNY, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION 0F DELAWARE.

vALvE For. norman eLAss.

Application mea apra 1s, 192s. smal No. 631,849.

To all whom; it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. HOWARD, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Butler, in the county of Butler and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and -useful Improvement in Valves for Molten Glass; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof. Y

My invention relates to devices for controlling or shuttin off the How of molten glass from a tank urnace to another receptacle such as ythe boot or discharge chamber of an automatic glass feeder.

One object of my invention is to provide" an effective cut-ofi valve for molten glassy constructed mainly from clay parts of simple construction, and to provide for the convenient removal and replacement of the parts of the valve which are subject to wear.

Another object of my invention is to provide a valve for controlling the flow of molten glass from a tank furnace to a glass feeder, the valve being ,so constructed and arranged as Ito receive the glass from beneath the glass level in the tank furnace, thereby furnishing tothe feeder ayconstant `supply of fresh hot glass.

In the accompanying drawing, Fig.r l is a longitudinal central sectional view of portions of a tank furnace and a glass-feeder, showing a valve construction embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a' horizontal sectional view ofthe construction shown in 1,

y on

' the section being taken substantiall the line 2 2, Fig. l; Fig. 3 is a longitudina ycentral sectional view showing another construction of the `same general character.;

` Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical sectional view of the construction shown in Fig. 3, the section being taken substantially along the line it-4, Fig. 3; vand Fig. 5 is an enlargedn cross sectional view of the valve-operatingl clutch.`

In my ap lication for Letters Patent filed February 2g, 1919, Serial No. 279,541,0f which the present application is a continuation in part, I have shown and described a cut-olf valve of the construction shown in Figs. lfand 2 of the accompanying drawing, this valve in the parent anni or other refracto matin lapin!! illustrated in connection with an automatic ly with the valve mechanism which controls the flow of the glass from the tank furnace into the discharge chamber and the other apparatus shown in my prior application has therefore been `omitted from the present application. The modified construction shown in Figs. 3y`and 4 differs from that of l Figs. 1 and 2 onlyl in minor details of construction and in the specific connections for raising and lowering the movable valve member. f

l The general purpose of a cut-olf valve, as employed with an automatic glass feeder, is to produce a regular How 0f glass from the tank furnace to the feeder, to compensate for variations which may occur in the level of the glass due to intermittent batchcharging, or to compensate for variations in the consistency of the glass due to change in temperature .or other factors which affect the flow of the glass. The valve is also employed toA stop the ow of glass entirely when the feeder is to be shut down and therefore it isnecessary that the movable valve member be able to seat tightly upon the valve seat. 1

In Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing the nu- .meral 21ndicates a portion of a tank furnace .level or'metal line in the tank furnace is indicated at 5 and a partition block 6 of refractory material is provided for preventing the glass from flowing out of the forehearth 3 except through a horizontal channel 7 communicating with a vertical opening 8 in which is set a tubular wearing piece 9 having a vertical opening 10 which receives the glass from the channel 7.

The wearing piece 9 is molded from clay material and its upper portion 11 exten s a substantial distance above the glass level at the valve in order to add sufficient weight to the wearing piece to prevent it from floating in the glass when the valve is open. This wearing piece is provided with one or more openings 12 to permit the glass which rises through the opening to escape into the feeding chamber 4. Four of the openings 12 are shown on Fi 2, but it will be understood that this num r'may be varied. A movable valve member 15, having a rounded lower end, is arranged vertically above-the opening 10 and the vertical position of this lvalve member determines the effective size of the valve opening. Thev valve member 15 may suitably be composed of clay and is suspended from a support 16 which, as shown, has a' guidel member 17 running between rollers 18, this guiding arrangement .serving to keep the movable valve member in proper alignment with the opening 10.

Any suitable means may be provided for raisin and lowering the valve member 15. If'desired, this movement may be made to take place automatically in response to va'- riations in the glass level within the tank 2. Such an automatic arrangement, including a float and connections for transmitting the movement of the float to the movable valve member, is shown in my priorl application, Serial No. 279,541. However, such automatic arrangements are not essential to my present inventionl and the movable valve member 15 may be arranged for manual adjustment by means such as the adjusting means which are shown in Figs. 3 and 4 of .the accompanying drawing and which will be described below. l

In the operation ofthe valve shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the movable valve memberv is raised either manually or automatically to the proper distance above its seat in the opening 10 to permit the desired quantity of g ass to rise through the opening 10 and escape through the openings12 into the feeding chamber 4. It will be observed that the glass is taken from the tank at a level considerably below the upper surface or metal line of the glass in the tank. This insures that a constant supply of fresh hot glass is delivered to the feeder.

In this construction both the movable valve member l5and the fixed valve member or wearin piece 9 may be removed for repair or re acement without dismantling the feeder. For this purpose the movable valve member 15 and its suspension means are mounted upon a removable block 19 which, when removed, provides an opening through which the wearing piece 8L may be I lifted out.

The construction shown in Fi 3 and 4 is designed to facilitate still urther the adjustment and removal of the parts of the valve. These figures show a portion of al tank furnace 20 having a skimmer 21, and a ,respondin teeth 55 onthe clutch forehearth having ,a rear chamber `22, a valve chamber 23 and a feeding chamber 24, the rear chamber 22 and the valve chamber 23 -being separated by a movable gate 25 which may be raised or lowered to place the chamber 22, 1n communication or out of communication with the valve chamber and the feeding chamber -as operating condi-l tions may' require.` A partition block 26 having a vertical projection 27 extends across the front end of the chamber 22 and prevents they flow Aof glass into the feeder except through a horizontal channel 28 which is formed in the block and com` municates with a vertical opening -29.

Above the opening 29 a recess 3() 1s formed in they block 26 to receive and support the a cover block and its upper end is closed by means o a cap 36 resting loosely upon the cover block 35. The cap 36 has a cen-A tral openn 37 to receive the stem of a movable va ve member 38, the lower portion` of which is enlarged and is provided with a conically tapering end portion 39 which is adapted to rest upon the conicalv valve seat 34. The upper end of the'movable valve member 37 1s 40 to which is attache a short cable 41 which suspends thevalve member lfrom-a support 42. This support is carried by'an arm 43 which in turn is carried by a clutch sleeve 44 that is loosely mounted upon a horizontal bar 45 and has one or more clutch teeth 46. The bar 45 is rotatably. mounted in bearings 47 which are supported by standards 48. A counterweight 49, adjustably mounted on an arm 50, over-balances the weight of the valve member 38 and its attachments. The arm 50 is carried lby a clutch sleeve 51 which, like the clutch `sleeve* 44, is loosely mounted on the bar 45 and has provided with a cap v one or more teeth 52 Iwhich engage the teeth 46 on the clutch sleeve 44. A clutch member A53 is rigidly Secured to the bar 45 and has one or more teeth 54 engaging corsleeve 51.

When t e shaft 45 is turned in a clockwise direction, Fig.` 3, the teeth,54 of the clutch member 53 act through the teeth 55to turn the clutch sleeve 51 and the weighted arm 51 is thereby raised, permitthe bar 45 is rotated in the opposite direction, the varm 50 and the weight 49 are permitted to descend by their own we'ight'and this movement is transmitted through the clutch sleeve 51 and the teeth 52 and 46 to raise the arm 43, the support 42 and the valvemember 38.

The vertical adjustment of the plunger may therefore be eilected by manually vrotating the bar 45. For this purpose an arm 56 is rigidly secured to one end of the bar and is provided at its outer end with a fork 57 in which is pivotally supported a nut 58.' The upper screw-threaded end of a Vertical rod 59 extendsthrough thel nut 58 and the lower end of this rod extends through an opening in` a xed bracket 60 .and carries av handle 61. Two collars 62 and 63 are secured to the rod 59 above and below the bracket 60 and prevent therod 59 from mqving len `hvvise while permitting itv to be turned y means of the handle 61. Q.

i The counterweight and adjusting means just described provide for raising and lowermg the valve member 38 in an accurate man-` ner and Without danger of breaking the valve members. If the clay valve member 38 were rigidly connected to the' handle 64 or other lifting means, this valve member might be broken while being pulled forcibly from partiallychilled glass. `.The construction just described prevents this' because the only force tending to raise the valve member 38 is the weight of the arm 50 and the counterweight 49. .Y

It willl be seen that the tubular valve member 31 maybe removed for4 replacement or inspection by disconnecting-I the movable valve member from itslsuspensi'on, lifting olf the cap '36, removin .the movable valve member 38 and-,then llftingout the tubular member 31. This may readilybe done with outtaking olf the cover block 35 entering the valve chamber.

The operation of the valve shown in Figs. 3 and 41s similar to that of the valve shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The glass .from the tankv furnace 20 passes under the skimmer 2l into the chamber 22 and thence through the channel 28 to the opening 29 through which it rises and is discharged through the lateral openings 32 intovthe feeding chamber 24.

In addition to the structural modifical horizontal partition member provided with` 'l es tions hereinl pointed out, various other changes 1n the construction and arrangement of parts 'may be made without departing l from my invention as set forth in the appended claims.-

I claim as my invention: 1. A valve for molten glass comprising a support, a tubular stationary valve member resting on said support and free to be lifted therefrom, said member having an internalannularvalve seat near its lower end andA having at least one lateral disjcharggge opening above said valve seat,` said tubular memberI extending a substantial distance above said opening to give said tubular member suiiicient weight to prevent itfrom floating in the glass vwhen the valve is open, and an elongated vertical valvev member arrangedv andv without there rom, said member being adapted to be for vertical adjustment above `said valve seat.

2. A valve for molten glass comprising a support having an opening formed therein, and a `tubular stationary valve member at said opening, the said tubular member having an internal annular valve'seat, an inlet opening of reduced diameter below said valve seat and' a lateral discharge opening above said valve seat, and a movable valve member extending into said tubular valve member and having its lower end shaped to enter said reduced inlet opening and to rest upon said annular valve seat.

l3. Av valve for molten glass comprising a partition member having a vertical opening therein, a vertical tubular valve member extending into said opening and having an internal annular valve seat and also having an annular valve seat.

4. A valvefor molten glass comprising a partition member having a horizontal inlet channel communicatingA with. an upwardly extending opening, a vertical tubular valve member resting on said'partition member at :said opening, said valve member having an internal annular valve seat and at least onelateral `v'discharge opening 'above saidv valve seat, and an` elongated, vertically movable,

valve member having its lower` end shaped to rest upon said annular valve seat.

" 4.5. A valve for molten glass comprising a Vvertical support, a' tubular valve member restin' on said support and'free to be lifted partially immersed in molten glass and extending suiiiciently above said glass to pre- .vent Said tubular member from Heating in :the glass,`.said valve member 'having an internal annular valveseat,and an elongated vertically movable valve member having its lower end within said tubular member and adapted to rest upon said annular valve seat.

6. A valve for molten glass comprising a an inlet channel and with a vertical opening communicating witlif'said channel, a tubular4 stationary valve member having its lower end supported on said partition in line with said o eningand having an internal annu! f lar va veseat and at least one lateral discharge opening above said valveseat, and an elongated vertically movable valve member having a tapered lower end adapted' to restupon said annular valve seat.

7. A valve for molten glass comprising a support, a normally stationary but removable valve member resting loosely upon said support and artially immersed in molten glass, land ten ing tofioat in said glass, said stationary valve 'member extending Asailiciently above theglass level at said valve to prevent said valve member from Heating in Supporting member, and a normally station- 10 the glass, and a movable valve member coary` valve member eooperating With said operating with said normally stationary movable valve member, said normally stavalve member. tionary valve member being removable from 8. Glass-handling apparatus comprising said apparatus through the said opening a container for molten glass provided With when said supporting member is removed7 l5 a cover having an opening, a supporting In testimony whereof L the lsaid GEORGE member removably disposed in said opening, E. HOWARD, have hereunto set my hand. a movable valve member supported by said GEORGE E. HOWARD. 

